Auxiliary transposing-keyboard.



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Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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APPLIouIoN FILED Nov. 5, 1907.

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APPLICATION HL No .5.1907.

904,730. Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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G. G. SGURFIELD. AUXILIARY TRANsPosING KEYBOARD.

APPLIUATIOH FILED NOV.5,1907.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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GEORGE GOUTHWAITE SOURFIELD, OF CARLISLE, ENGLAND.

AUXILIARY TRANSPOSING-KE YB OARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed November 5, 1907. Serial No. 400,744.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE GOUTHWAITE SCURFIELD, a subject of the Kingof the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing atCarlisle, Cumberland, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Auxiliary Transposing- Keyboards, of which the followingis a speciication.

This invention relates to auxiliary keyboards of the kind fitted topianos and like musical instruments to facilitate the transposition ofmusic, and it has for its object to provide a simplified and improvedconstruction of such keyboards whereby the same may be adjusted to suitvarious makes of pianos, etc.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a part plan of the improvedauxiliary keyboard fitted over part of an ordinary keyboard. Figs. 2aand 2b are detail views hereinafter referred to. Figs. 3 and 3aare planand sectional end elevation respectively of the front rail and endbrackets of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing part of anadjustable bar adapted to carry the striking pins. Figs. 5 and 5fL showin part front and end elevations respectively a bar carrying guide pinsand levers hereinafter referred to. Fig. 6 is a part sectional elevationof one of the keys showing a dupleX arrangement for retaining the backends of the keys in position and also an alternative mode of steadyingthe back ends of the levers. Fig. 6a is a corresponding view showing amodification. Fig. 7 is a plan of a portion of the foundation piece ofthe keyboard.

As shown the apparatus comprises a stationary wooden or other foundationpiece A (see Fig. 7 which is fitted detachably on or over the ordinarykeyboard B of the instrument, and to this foundation piece the auxiliarykeyboard C is attached by a plate D loosely pivoted on the ends of a rodCZ passing through the back ends of the transposing keys and the slidingbrackets D1 as shown at d (Figs. l, 3 and 3a) or a similar device onsaid brackets D1 or some equivalent device on the rear side so that thesaid keyboard C may be freely raised on said pivot rod Z as well as slidlongitudinally along with it in a dovetail groove (Z1 in said foundationpiece A.

The above mentioned brackets D]L are attached to a dovetailed bar ZX bybolts passed through slotted holes in the brackets Dl or by some similardevice, to allow of forward and backward adjustment, thus enabling thedistance between the striking pins al and the supporting pivot at (l tobe varied or adjusted as desired by the movement of either the pivot orthe pins or both.

The above mentioned foundation piece A is slotted longitudinally and hasa bar A1 of wood or other device formed with a number of perforations ain order to allow a row of pins al to play through it on to the keys o,b1 below; said bar A1 being attached to, placed upon, over, or let intothe foundation piece A in such a manner as to be capable of vertical andif necessary horizontal adjustment independent of the main foundationpiece. The vertical adjustment may be made by means of thumb screws asshown at S, Fig. 4, the object of this movement being to enable thepower of the springs to be varied. The horizontal adjustment may be madeby the insertion of a second bar A2 which may be placed either in frontof or behind the bar A1, thus altering 'the position of the pins alwithout disturbing the main foundation piece A, the object of thismovement being to allow an eXtra variation in the touch of theapparatus. Instead of adjusting the bar A1 horizontally, theperforations may be placed slightly oif the center so that by reversingthe bar the pins may be brought either further forward or further backas the case may be.

The pins al are surrounded by light helical springs a2 placed betweenthe heads a3 of said pins and the top face of aforesaid bar A1 thevertical adjustment of the bar A1 permitting the compression of thesprings A2 to be altered to suit the touch of the piano or otherinstrument without varying the height or level of the rod CZ. Thisvertical independent adjustment of that portion of the transposer whichsupports the pins al and springs a2 may be obtained in some otherconvenient manner. The pins are made in two lengths so as to bearequally on the white and black keys Z) b1 respectively while their upperends are maintained at a uniform level, their length being sufhcient toenable thekeys of the piano or other instrument to be struck with fullforce without jamming the springs a2 (see Fig. 11.);

To insure that when the keyboard@ is swung upwards on its pivot (Z theblack keys c, which are in this position unsupported (except when fittedwith levers at their forward ends, as hereinafter explained), shall beheld clear of the said pins al a thin rod or wire 02 extending parallelwith the pivot axis Z may be run through orifices c2 formed in both thewhite keys c1 and the black keys c in proximity to and parallel with therod d. These orifices o2 are of greater diameter than the rod or wire 02to permit of free independent movement of each key c, 01 when playing.As indicated the orifices in the black keys c may be disposed slightlyhigher up than those in the white keys 01 so that the weight of the rodc2 is carried by the black keys c and the rod also acts as a means ofpreventing them from rising too high when they are released after beingstruck.

The rod l or the dovetailed bar ZX or both may be fitted with pinsextending into vertical slits cut in the ends of some or all of the keysto maintain the back ends of the keys in position, as indicated at F andF1, Figs. 2, 6 and 6a. When fitted to the rod d the pins may be eithervertical or horizontal. The white keys are positioned by pins at backand front the pins e in front being similar to those in the mainkeyboard of the instrument; these guiding pins e have levers e2 attachedto or fitted on them and are firmly fixed in a bar of wood E or othermaterial which is itself attached adjustably at e2 to the front barwhich connects the end brackets C1 of the movable keyboard C so that onraising the barE all the white keys G1 are raised and with them also theblack keys c through the action of the said rod or wire c2. On the otherhand the use of this rod may or may not be necessary if the keys o arefitted with levers G2 attached by small pins or screws to the bar E asshown at G, Figs. 2, 2a, 2b and 5. (The said levers G2 are hidden by thelevers el in Fig. 1).

In the use of the transposing keyboard C the keys c, 01 struck inplaying transmit their motion to the keys l), b1 of the instrument Bthrough the levers G2 or e1 or direct as the case may be to the verticalpins al which on release of the pressure on the transposing keyboard areimmediately raised to the normal position by means of the springs a2.The back ends of all the levers el and G2 may be kept in correctposition by pins fitted through slots cut in these levers, these pinsbeing fastened in the underside A of the keys as shown at H and H1, Fig.2;

or again thepins may form part of the levers c2 Vand G2 and may work inslots K in the underside of the keys as shown in Figs. 6 and 2E, theslots K being simply extensions of those shown taking the pins F or F1above-mentioned; the slots K may if desired be extended to join theslots e3 at the front end of the keys so that one slot may do for threepins. The front ends of all the levers are attached to the bar E whichis adjustably attached to the end brackets and front rail in such amanner as to enable the purchase of all the levers to be variedsimultaneously. v

The black keys 0 may or may not be made to act directly on the pins albelow them, but in order to produce approximate equality of travel ofthe black and white keys and to insure that the latter shall transmitapproximately the same extent of movement to the keys Z), b1 of theinstrument without traveling or dropping abnormally themselves, thewhite keys c1 act on the pins below them through the intervention of thelevers c1. rlhese levers are bent or crankedl at a point forward of thepins al in such wise that as a white key c1 is depressed the end of thelever e1 which rests upon the pin al below the said white key travelsfurther in a downward direction than does the actual point of contactbetween the key and the lever, thus reducing the travel or drop of thewhite key. The dotted position of the lever in Fig. 6a shows roughly theincreased movement of the end of the lever el as compared with the pointof contact of the lever and the key which depresses it. The levers G2will, when fitted, serve a similar purpose, as regards the operation ofthe black keys.

The orifices c3 in the front end of the white keys intended to receivethe guide pins e are made in the form of a slot to allow of the inwardor outward adjustment of the bar E or the like so as to allow the backends of said levers e2 (and levers G2, if any) to make contact with thestriking pins a2 at various distances from the point of contact of thelever with the key above it as well as varying the position of suchpoint of contact. The bar E may be attached by screws passed throughslots at e2 and screwed into the bar joining the two end brackets C1 orin some similar convenient manner. By thus varying the leverage thedownward travel of the auxiliary keys may be varied to suit the touch ofdiierent pianos or the individual requirements of different performers.

rlhe whole apparatus may, if desired, be made to take the place of thepiano lid, using the hinges of aforesaid lid for the purpose ofretaining it in position when in use or allowing the whole apparatus tobe raised out of the way when not required; in this case the front maybe boxed in if desired and the transposing keyboard fitted with a lightlid. rlChis lid may be used with either arrangement.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is 1. In an auxiliary transposingkeyboard for pianos and like musical instruments, in combination, afoundation piece, slotted longitudinally, transposing keys' mounted onthe foundation piece, a perforated bar adjustably fitted in the slot insaid foundation piece, striking` pins passing through said perforatedbar and serving to transmit motion of the transposing keys to theordinary keyboard, and adjustable springs interposed between the headsof said pins and said bar.

2. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a verticallyadjustable perforated bar fitted in the slot in said foundation piece,headed striking pins passing through said perforated bar and serving totransmit motion of the transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, andadjustable springs surrounding said pins, said springs interposedbetween the heads of said pins and the top of said bar.

3. .In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a horizontallyadjustable perforated bar fitted in the slot in said foundation piece,headed striking pins passing through said perforated bar and serving totransmit motion of the transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, andadjustable springs surrounding said pins, said springs interposedbetween the heads of said pins and the top of said bar.

e. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in

combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally, transposing keysmounted on the foundation piece, a vertically and horizontallyadjustable perforated bar fitted in the slot in said foundation piece,headed striking pins passing through said perforated bar and serving totransmit motion of the transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, andadjustable springs surrounding said pins, said springs interposedbetween the heads of said pins and the top of said bar.

. 5. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a perforated baradjustably fitted in the slot in said foundation piece, headed strikingpins passing through said perforated bar and serving to transmit motionof the transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, adjustable springssurrounding said pins, said springs interposed between the heads of saidpins and the top of said bar, and adjustable levers controlling theextent of travel and so regulating the touch of said transposing keys.

6. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a perforated baradjustably fitted in the slot in said foundation piece, headed strikingpins passing through said perforated bar serving to transmit motion ofthe transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, adjustable springssurrounding said pins, said springs interposed between the heads of saidpins and the top of said bar, adjustable levers controlling the travelor touch of said transposing keys, and a rod passing through orifices insaid keys, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a perforated baradjustably fitted in the slot in said foundation piece, headed strikingpins passing through said perforated bar and serving to transmit motionof the transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, adjustable springssurrounding said pins, said springs interposed between the heads of saidpins and the top of said bar, adjustable levers controlling the travelor touch of said transposing keys, a rod passing through orifices in allsaid keys, a second bar adjustable relative to said foundation piece towhich second bar said levers are attached, said second bar being adaptedto support the keys when raised up to be moved into another position forproducing music in another key, as and for the purpose specified.

S. In an auxiliary transposing keyboard for pianos and like musicalinstruments, in combination, a foundation piece slotted longitudinally,end brackets for said keyboard adjustable relative to said foundationpiece, transposing keys mounted on the foundation piece, a perforatedbar adjustably fitted to said foundation piece, headed striking pinspassing through said perforated bar and serving to transmit motion ofthe transposing keys to the ordinary keyboard, adjustable springssurrounding said pins, said springs interposed between the heads of saidpins and the top of said bar, adjustable levers controlling the travelor touch of said transposing keys, a rod passing through ori- {iees inall said keys, a second bar adjustable namel to this specification inthe presence of relative to said foundation piece todwhio twosubscribing witnesses.

second bar said levers' are attache sai Y Y second bar being adapted toraise the keys GEORGE GGUTHWAITE SCURFIEID and to adjust simultaneouslyall the above Witnesses:

mentioned levers. RICHARD IRVINE STEELE, In testimony whereof I havesigned my l Jos. MCNICOL.

